Take a Bite
by WriterforLife29
Summary: L-elf is a soldier who runs away with his love, princess Lieselotte. Unfortunately, there's a beast lurking in the woods. L-elf is sacrificed and is the first to meet the monster face to face. Only then is it revealed that he's a useless vampire who doesn't want to kill people to sustain himself. Harueru / eruharu
1. The One Where They Meet

"According to the map, we'll reach a village soon", he said without being prompted.

Lieselotte hadn't asked how long it would take or even where they were going. For him to be this sure, he must be certain about every decision he was making. A long time ago, he'd suggested running away. She was the princess and was kept locked away in the castle, never truly living. He was raised under the military's authority. His life was never his own.

But she had asked them where the two of them could belong if not here. It wasn't heaven, but there was no other place for them. He vowed that he would find a place. And two days ago they finally fled, after years of fleeting dreams.

Just as he said, within the hour, they'd found a small rural town. Just perfect for hiding in. L-elf wanted to pass quickly through this region. If he could help it, he didn't want to spend more than a night here. There were rumors of a strange beast, lurking in the woods for victims. Apparently, the creature had a taste for young women. Which put Lieselotte at risk.

He led her through the town, trying to think of a place where they could stay. A normal inn was out of the question. Even though it couldn't compare to the luxuries of the palace, it was the first place the royal search party would look. While he detested putting his beloved through such accommodations, they had to put up with an abandoned shack.

"Stay here", he said. "I'll go and get us some food." L-elf put a blanket around her, noticing that she shivered a little in the chilly air. Winter was on its way and this shed provided little warmth. He was determined to get them moving once morning came. At the moment, the sun was just setting and it'd be dangerous to travel at night. L-elf was confident in his abilities as a soldier but wanted as little of a commotion as possible.

While he went to the market, he went over his plans again. He had many skills and could do just about any work. Once they were far away enough from the palace, he could get some sort of job to support them. Then Lieselotte could live freely, the way she always dreamed.

"My daughter went missing the other day. That monster must've taken her! I know it!"

"We can't put up with this anymore. We've got to kill it!"

"Are _you_ going to go up against it?"

More talk of the beast roaming the area. L-elf didn't care about one village's problems. The only thing that mattered was the princess. And she was hungry. He browsed the stalls, thinking of what she would like and what they could afford.

"Maybe it'll be appeased if we give it a sacrifice?"

"Who is going to give up their family member to be devoured by a monster?"

"I think I saw some travelers come into town. One of them was a girl. We could use her."

L-elf's hand tightened around an apple he was looking over but only years of arduous lessons kept him from crushing it.

"I don't know...she's innocent..."

"So were our wives, daughters, and sisters! They were all innocent. But we need to do something!"

L-elf didn't listen to anymore. He left the market with what little he bought and went back to Lieselotte's side. By then he had a plan for when the inevitable mob arrived.

"Listen", normally he'd never order the princess around but in these kinds of occasions, he had the greater knowledge and needed her to obey. "When I tell you hide somewhere. And don't come out until you know for certain that the mob is gone."

"What's going on? What are you going to do?"

The sound of a crowd moving was heard outside. "Just hide", he led her to conceal herself behind a few crates. As soon as she was hidden, the door opened. A tall man stepped inside and grabbed L-elf's wrist, pulling him outside.

He was certain he could fend off this man, as well as the entire mob. But if this town reported being attacked by one lone murderer, palace authorities would know immediately who it was and L-elf couldn't afford that.

"Is this the one?"

"Looks like it. She had pale hair."

"Kind of flat chested though."

"The beast won't care when it's eating her up! Tie her!"

L-elf's wrists and ankles were bound and he was carried off. The crowd of villagers brought him to the middle of the forest and tied him to a stake.

"Sorry about this", of of them said. "But we're tryin' to protect our families. We've had it with that vampire."

The soldier would have insulted their plan if he wasn't already in the middle of his own. They left him there in the darkness. The moon was the only light and it wasn't much. Once he was certain he was alone, he whipped out a small knife and started to cut at the ties. After a moment, he heard something creeping in the woods. L-elf's ears perked at the sound.

The sound didn't come from four paws, but two feet. A person? L-elf didn't think it was the infamous vampire. Information on them was scarce, but they were known to hide out in abandoned buildings, not in nature. If there truly was a man eating beast in the area, it couldn't be a vampire. L-elf continued and then he saw a light. Fire.

A torchlight came into view and holding it was a young man with childish blue eyes. He looked at the hostage with shock and then apologetically. He looked around frantically as if searching for someone to help.

"I-I'll get you out of that!"

Before L-elf could refuse, the stranger tripped and dropped the torch near L-elf's feet, starting a fire. The unnamed boy panicked and started to untie L-elf, as the flames reached him. He cried out in pain but kept the fire from the silver haired one until he was free. L-elf escaped unharmed and wondered why this person would go to such lengths, even burning himself.

Said person was ignoring the burns and scooping dirt to put out the small fire. Once the danger was gone, he sighed in relief. "That was a close one. I don't know how to stop a huge fire. Are you okay?"

"What a thing to ask when you've just been burned. I am unharmed."

"Burned? No, no, no. The fire didn't touch me. See?" He held up his hands which looked perfectly fine.

The gears in L-elf's hands were turning. "Walking in the forest alone at night, fast healing, accompanied to the rumors lead me to this conclusion..."

"Conclusion?", he tilted his head innocently. "I'm Haruto, what's your na-"

Haruto choked out a gasp as a knife was plunged straight into his heart. He looked down at the growing blood stain, then at L-elf, confused and hurt. L-elf's pulled out the knife and pushed Haruto to the ground. He was perfectly still. With that, L-elf turned to go back. With the vampire taken care of, it would be a little safer to travel tonight.

He only took a few steps when he felt a strange presence behind him. He turned to see Haruto staggering to his feet. A normal person would have been angry at being stabbed. But Haruto's eyes were just sad.

"Please. Please don't tell them. I just want to live freely."

"I will do what I intend to do when I return to that village."

"You can't!" Haruto grabbed him and L-elf was surprised to be overpowered by his strength. He felt a painful prick in his neck and then nothing at all.


	2. The One Where Lieselotte Dies

Dark. Incredibly dark. But soon his eyes adjusted. The area was unfamiliar. The moments before he lost consciousness returned to him and he jumped up from his lying down position. It was still too dark for him to move to confidently. Where was he? He felt a presence beside him and his hands went around a throat just as the words "Oh good, you're-" were choked out.

"Where am I? What happened to me?" L-elf maneuvered them so his kidnapper's back was on the floor and his hands were trapped.

"I took you to my home! I well...I jacked your body and I didn't know where you lived, so I just brought you here until you woke up."

"'Jack'?"

"It's one of my abilities. One of the things that makes us different from humans. I say that but we aren't too different from humans. At least I don't think so."

L-elf stood and let the other stand as well. He tried making out his surroundings but it was still too murky. It was then that a light came on, from an oil lamp, illuminating the room. It was a small bedroom. Tidy, but old.

"I didn't get to properly introduce myself. My name's Tokishima Haruto. And yours?"

"What is a JIORan vampire doing this far in Dorssia territory?", L-elf asked. He cursed the limited knowledge on these creatures but he wouldn't let it get the best of him.

"I haven't been back to JIOR in a while. I wonder if I can still speak the language...You're from the village right? I can show you the way back. But I can't let the villagers see me."

"I have no business with those simple folk. Why do you hide from them? Couldn't you kill them easily?"

Haruto looked appalled. "I don't want to do that! I hate killing!"

"A vampire that hates killing", L-elf smirked in amusement. "How do you even survive?"

"I drink the blood of animals. It's not the best, but I'm surviving. If I could, I would drink human blood. It's always so...delicious...and satisfying." He felt his mouth water despite himself. "But I won't do that. When those villagers found out I was here, they panicked. And now they think I'm taking their girls. It's not true!"

"The lore says your kind thirsts for the blood of human women. It only makes sense to blame you."

"It's lies! Those girls are just running away, usually with some lover. I haven't drunk from a human in decades."

Haruto had seen young maidens taking off in the night while he hunted for dinner. Most of the time they were accompanied by someone. He had absolutely nothing to do with them leaving town. Or maybe they just saw it as an opportunity to escape their current lives.

He had no wall around himself, no sense of guarding at all. He would just answer any question L-elf had. And he was soft. Probably easily manipulated. But he had his uses. L-elf would have no need to fear the beast of the forest if he was traveling with the beast. Bandits wouldn't even be ants to them. L-elf sat down on the bed. Haruto watched him for a moment before settling down next to him.

"What about human food? Is that inedible?"

"I can eat it, but it's not very nutritious. I can eat things like beef stew, but it would be just like eating a single grain of rice. Animal blood is the best thing for me. No one gets hurt and I can live."

"What if you could drink a person's blood with their consent?"

The vampire stiffened. His nostrils flared. "It's not possible. I'll never meet another person like that."

"Tokishima Haruto. Make a pact with me." L-elf looked to him with a plan in mind. "I need to get away from somewhere with an important person. If you escort us, you can drink from me freely."

"You're serious? Don't mess with me." Haruto's voice was quiet. He put his hands on L-elf's shoulders and the other allowed himself to be pushed backwards.

"I'm always serious. We mutually benefit from this. Do we have a deal?"

"It's been a few months since I've been this close to a person...No, even the villagers, when they saw me they were always at a distance."

Being so close to a live body was clouding Haruto's judgement. He knew he shouldn't trust this man so readily. He didn't even know his name. He didn't know why he was running, who he was with, or anything about him besides the fact that he'd been sacrificed by a mob. But Haruto was older than he looked. He wouldn't die so easily no matter what this stranger had coming. And he didn't like the idea of staying around this area for much longer. His nose was pressed against L-elf's neck. The scent alone intoxicated him.

"Deal."

Haruto's sharp fangs punctured the skin and he drank. It was a battle from the first drop on his tongue. The monster inside urged him to go until there was nothing left but his true self argued, trying to take just enough to keep his new partner conscious. He had already fed earlier so it wasn't like he was starving. But human blood really was something else.

It took everything he had, but finally Haruto pulled away. He licked at the teeth marks and they healed quickly. He felt warmer, more alert. His belly was full and he was practically glowing. He rolled off of L-elf with a dumb smile on his face.

"That was tasty."

"Now you hold up your end of the deal. We need to go back to the village."

"Huh?! Why?!"

"My important person is there. With you, we can leave this place tonight."

Haruto frowned but he knew it was his duty now. An even trade. They left and L-elf realized that they were in an abandoned mansion. The original owners had probably been gone for a decade or so. The decay wasn't too noticeable. If the vampire was living alone he was probably only taking care of the places he used. The full moon lighted the way as they got to the shack.

L-elf opened the door and found the princess shivering in her sleep. He went to her side and felt her forehead.

"She's got a fever."

There would be no going on the road tonight. They went back to Haruto's place and got a fire going. Haruto draped Lieselotte in a thick blanket.

"Mikhail...You made a friend?", she asked.

"So that's your name. Mikhail?"

"Food. She needs to eat."

"Food? Food, food, food", Haruto chanted as he walked off somewhere.

Lieselotte watched him go with a weak smile. "He seems so different from you. I suppose opposites attract."

"He will be traveling with us from now on. For protection", L-elf explained.

"'Protection'? You think we'll need it?" L-elf's prowess was well known, even to someone who had never seen a battlefield or war meeting like her.

Haruto came back with dried meat and fruits. L-elf glared at him, scolding him with his eyes before actually opening his mouth.

"Is this all you have?"

"Well I don't each much so...I need to keep things that'll last long. Oh! I have some pickles somewhere..."

"It's fine", the princess cut in. "We're guests, Mikhail."

L-elf softened at her words but still tried to protest. "You need something more filling. You look pale."

"That's not because of the fever, or perhaps the fever made it worse...Mikhail. There's something I need to tell you, a secret of the royal family."

Haruto hesitated for a moment. "Maybe I should leave you two alone..."

Lieselotte grabbed his sleeve and smiled. "Stay. These will probably be my last words."

"Don't say that!", L-elf yelled. "You're just cold. You'll be fine by morning if you eat."

She just shook her head and began to speak, revealing the secrets of the imperial family. Marriages within the family, those already related by blood was nothing hidden. Cousins marrying cousins, uncles marrying nieces, and the like. It was done to keep titles in the family and keep outsiders from climbing up the ladder. What the public didn't know was what happened when they had children.

Inbreeding did horrible things to one's genes. Many infants came out deformed and were thrown away. That meant either leaving it in the wilderness to die or by some pity sending it off to an orphanage far away. Only the ones who came out appearing normal would be kept and brought up in the palace. Even so, there were still irregularities under the surface.

The 'normal' ones might have physical health defects that couldn't be seen, or a mental one. And in Lieselotte's case the doctor confirmed that her life would not be long. Knowing this, she had pleaded for more freedom. If she would not live to grow old and gray at least let her experience the world as much as she could. But her parents and the council refused. They could see no merit in her request and decided it was best for her to stay inside the walls of the castle.

"Just these few days, I've already seen more than I ever thought I would. I'm grateful, Mikhail. Truly."

"You can't go yet. You haven't seen anything yet. You've just started to explore. This guy you call my friend, he's a vampire. If he turns you, you can live on!"

He held her small hands in his own. Despite the fire and the blanket they felt cold. She looked to Haruto who flinched at her gaze.

"No. I do not know what being a vampire entails. But his eyes look very sad. I would rather go as I am now, then shoulder the burden he carries. If things were different, the world might have favored us. If my family understood what it meant to me, maybe..."

Haruto watched silently. L-elf's eyes filled with tears as he saw her get weaker. She closed her eyes slowly and her body became limp. The hands he grasped had no more life left in them. L-elf hunched over and didn't let go. He couldn't bare to. If it did, it really meant that she was gone. The fire continued to roar, a brazen show of life in spite of the atmosphere in the room.

* * *

Sooooooo, i just realized i went a little twilight with the animal blood thing. and imma have to do it again with somethin' else. but i swear after that second thing there will be no more twilight thingies.


	3. The One Where L-elf is Sad

"Hey, L-elf, say something."

"..."

Haruto almost kicked him, but that wouldn't do anything. He sighed instead and looked to the grave he'd erected. Haruto feared that L-elf might cling to her body and fight him, but the Dorssian was completely unresponsive once it was confirmed she was dead. Haruto moved her body and on his own he dug a hole to lay her body to rest. After burying and putting a heavy stone to mark it, he pulled L-elf out to see and hopefully say a few words on her behalf.

But it was clear that wasn't going to happen. L-elf just sat on the ground, curled up on himself. He wouldn't respond to Haruto's words at all. For a moment, he thought he'd come to his senses and was going to speak, but he just moved to lay on his back, staring aimlessly at the sky. The vampire couldn't just let this person die without any sort of speech. The though saddened him. So he cleared his throat.

"I didn't know you. Not even a little bit. All I know is that you were very important to L-elf. Extremely important. When you were with him, he turned from ice cold to soft and warm. You were like a fire, melting him. And now that you're gone, he's like this...That's enough to tell me you were what he lived for. I'm sad to see you go when there's still someone who needs you very much. But hopefully you can be free of suffering now."

Haruto looked to L-elf, just in case his words roused up any reaction. He was disappointed at the silver haired's blank expression. The sky was beginning to get light and Haruto had to go back inside. He grabbed L-elf and carried him back. L-elf was left on the bed Haruto had first laid him on, while he went to the basement to await the night and think about things.

L-elf would probably move on. He'd want to go home, or more likely find a new life for himself. That was for the best. The alternative was him going into a depressive state for an extended period, leaving Haruto to care for him. He'd do it. He owed him and Haruto couldn't watch someone waste away. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He hunted animals and drained them of their blood anyway.

The human could eat the meat, which he usually left to rot in the woods. But if L-elf was running away, he probably had some intended destination. Haruto wondered if that was still the plan now that his companion was gone. Haruto had many hobbies that he could do in the darkness and decided to busy himself today with reading. He didn't want to make too much noise and bother L-elf.

Assuming he was still up there in the bedroom. It was very likely that he'd come to his senses and left, leaving Haruto alone once again. Those thoughts saddened him but what else did he expect? He and L-elf were strangers. They had nothing in common and no reason to remain together. Doing so might be in L-elf's best interests anyway. Otherwise he'd be in close quarters with something that could kill him.

Haruto didn't get much reading done as he spent much of the day thinking about this and sometimes pacing around in the basement. He waited until he was certain that the sun had dropped and went to see if L-elf was still there. He had prepared himself for the worst. He knocked on the door but there was no answer.

"L-elf? Are you still in there? ...I'm coming in."

He entered and found the other still lying in bed. His position had changed a little, but other than that, nothing was different. It gave Haruto mixed feelings. On the one hand, he wasn't alone anymore, at least for now. On the other, L-elf was clearly stricken with grief if he wasn't moving. It had been a whole day and he hadn't eaten. Haruto didn't know if he'd gotten dinner at least before being tied up in the woods.

"You need to eat", he said but there was no kind of reply. "I'll get something for you."

The vampire left and decided to kill two birds with one stone. All Haruto had was dried and preserved foods. L-elf needed something with more filling. He left the mansion and went into the forest, searching. He didn't feel like going for big game tonight. He'd keep it small. Maybe a medium sized rodent. Some raccoons passed but Haruto wasn't in the mood for raccoon.

He sniffed the air and continued on until some rabbits made themselves noticed. Haruto watched them carefully. Rabbits were known for their speed and he wasn't particularly fast. Once they were right in front of him, probably on their way to a burrow. He pounced and grabbed one by the ears and the other by the foot. He took the first and bit into it, draining the blood.

The taste seemed less pleasing than before, but he blamed it on having L-elf's blood earlier. Haruto drank the second rabbit's blood and usually he'd leave the bodies in the forest floor but tonight this would be dinner for the human. He brought them inside and started a fire. When he was still human, he'd learned how to skin and cook animals. It had always made him squeamish as a child. But it had been so long and his skills were rusty.

Still, he'd managed to free some of the meat from the fur and roasted it over the fire. Once it was finished, he dusted off a plate, making it as clean as he could, and put the rabbit's meat on it. He went up to the bedroom and saw that L-elf was still lying in bed. At least he was lying on his side, which meant he'd moved again.

"I brought you some dinner. You need to eat." Haruto moved closer and set the plate on the bedside drawer. He sat down by L-elf's side and watched him for a moment. His eyes were blank and staring at nothing. Haruto saw small movements that showed he was still breathing. He couldn't help himself and reached out to stroke L-elf's hair.

It was softer than he could have ever imagined and luxuriously silky. He almost lost himself in the sensation but he remembered he was trying to comfort the young man into eating.

"Come on", Haruto grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position. He held L-elf to lean against him and held a piece of meat to his mouth. "Go ahead and eat."

L-elf was still unresponsive and didn't open his mouth. It was like he was completely unaware of what was going on around him. Haruto sighed, unsure of what to do.

"That girl, she wouldn't want you to starve to death, would she? After you both left together...She said she wanted to see the world. Maybe you should see it in her place."

The Dorssian didn't speak but he parted and bit into the food and chewed slowly. Haruto smiled and was about to reach out for more when a hand caught him.

"I can feed myself."

L-elf ate quietly. He had been very hungry but it didn't register in his mind with the loss of Lieselotte. Haruto remained next to him and observed silently until the plate was cleaned.

"So, what will you do now?"

"Seeing the world in Lieselotte's stead is not a bad plan."

Haruto smiled widely at L-elf's admission of that. They would be parting ways now, and thinking like that made him lonely. But at least this way L-elf wouldn't fall in depression. He'd get to experience new things. He had a chance at happiness.

"But before that", he continued, "I will avenge her."

"Eh? Avenge? How?"

"The Dorssian royal family knew of her condition and yet instead of granting her wish, condemned her to a life behind walls. All she wanted was to go beyond them. For what they did, I will crush this kingdom. And you will help me."

Haruto's mind went blank and then it was whirring with unconnected ideas. "How am I going to help? I don't know anything about the royal family." He wasn't even going to touch on the fact that he hadn't agreed to doing this. Just what did L-elf expect him to do?

"Your ability to possess bodies will come in handy, along with your invincible body", L-elf moved the plate back to the drawer.

"I don't want to overthrow a king. I'm fine just living this way. There's no reason for me to do any of this!" Haruto's life was lonely, his world was small, and he lived in fear of one day the villagers coming and attacking him, probably during the day. It wasn't a perfect life by far. Even so, it was the place in the world that he had made for himself. There was nowhere else for him to go.

L-elf looked at him and Haruto saw something strong and full of resolve. L-elf grabbed the back of Haruto's head and pulled him in, putting the vampire's face near his neck.

"This. If you obey me, then you will be able to feed from me regularly. As long as you do not drain me completely or take an unnecessary amount. That will be our deal."

Haruto didn't answer for a while. His head was swirling. L-elf's fresh, warm blood was right under his nose. All that separated him from it was the thinnest layer of skin. He could even feel the pulse. Haruto's tongue peaked out and he licked at it lightly. L-elf's fingers tightened in his hair.

"Do we have an agreement?"

Haruto promptly answered with a bite.


	4. The One Where They Get to JIOR

Haruto had fidgeted for the nth time and L-elf hit his head for the nth time. They had set out and L-elf would not settle for travelling only at night and being idle during the day. So Haruto was outfitted with a hooded cape and gloves. He had a scarf around the bottom half of his face for extra precaution. But for obvious reasons, he was still wary and could keep messing with his clothes, which was why L-elf had to physically scold him each time.

They had been travelling for a few hours once everything they needed was packed. Haruto had gathered all the foods he collected, dried meats, fruit, and pickles. It was mid-morning and they were on their way, south, to get to JIOR. After Haruto had his meal last night, the first thing L-elf asked were if there were others like him. And there were. Not many.

Still, in JIOR and small group that Haruto had left behind. He didn't elaborate on why he left them, but L-elf didn't care. What mattered was that they be found and brought over to their cause. With more of them fighting, overthrowing the current royal family would be a breeze.

"We should get to the coast in about two days. Then we'll take a ship to make it to JIOR. Until then, tell me more about your coven."

"C-coven? We're not really like that. Not really."

"Clan?"

Haruto shook his head. "We're all just friends who were turned at the same time." And he left it at that.

They walked the worn path side by side. The sun was setting and they went off to the side of the road to rest out of sight. It was almost dark enough for Haruto to remove his outer clothing. In the shade, he took off his gloves and scarf but kept the hood over his head.

"Hey, L-el-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by L-elf's hand on his mouth. He was about to protest when he heard someone coming down the road. They were hidden in the foliage but if they moved they would give away their location. The source of the sound came into view. It was a scouting group of Dorssian soldiers on horseback. They were being tracked. Haruto felt his mouthed being freed as L-elf reached for something.

Whatever it was, whizzed past his ear and nailed one of the soldiers right in the neck. Before the others could react, L-elf had jumped out and started taking down the others. He moved too fast for Haruto to make sense of. When he finally stopped, there were five dead men and five nervous horses. L-elf mounted one and looked to Haruto.

"Get on."

He didn't have to be told twice. Haruto grabbed their things and clumsily sat himself on the horse behind L-elf. They set off and continued on their way to the coast. Haruto tried to talk over the galloping horse.

"Hey, how did you know how to do all that?!"

"Don't talk. You'll bite your tongue."

That shut him right up. They traveled for hours through the night until the sun began to show. They stopped and Haruto put his protective gear back on. The horse had shortened their trip significantly. The coast was already in sight just from a night of riding. Just a little more and they could hire a boat. They gave the horse a rest and walked it to the seaside town.

L-elf sold him, since they wouldn't need a horse on a boat and what they needed most was money. Haruto had no coin to his name, since he caught all his food and lived in a place no one would approach. L-elf had his pay from being a soldier, but not that he was unemployed, it wouldn't last. And a coup would cost money. They found a ship that would take them both, despite Haruto's covered appearance and they set off.

Soon they would be in JIOR, Haruto's homeland. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, considering how he left things. He wasn't even certain that the others would join him. When he ran away, they were living peacefully, settled into their new forms. The only one who couldn't do that was Haruto.

"Hey, when we get there, what are you going to tell them? They won't just fight for anything. Are you...will you offer your blood to them too?", Haruto spoke in a hushed voice as they leaned against the rail of the ship. He didn't want any eavesdropping.

"It is my blood. I am entitled to give it to anyone I please. But if I feed your whole coven, I'll be dead before we can get back to Dorssia. I have something else for them."

"What?" Haruto was curious as to what else he could offer that would interest a vampire.

"Freedom. If you are any indication, they will want to live among people without needing to hide themselves in fear."

"You really think that could happen? For people like us?"

"When we overthrow one of the most powerful governments in the world and take it into our own hands, we can do anything that we want."

"So you really think we can do it? You really believe in us like that?"

"Dorssia had no countermeasures concerning immortal bloodsuckers. I will use that to our advantage. How many of you are there?"

"Let's see, there's me, and four others", Haruto counted off his fingers.

"That will be sufficient."

They arrived on the shores of JIOR a few days later and Haruto was hit with nostalgia. On the docks, the fisherman spoke with the local dialect and colloquialisms. It really had been a long time since he'd heard his native tongue.

"What city are they located in?", L-elf asked as soon as they were on land.

"They've moved to the country since we turned, but..."

"But? Spit it out."

"It's been about thirty...thirty-seven years since I've been in JIOR. I'm not sure if they'd stay in the same place." It was likely that they'd settled and still lived where Haruto had left them but he hadn't stepped foot in his home country for decades. They might be gone, or dead as far fetched as it sounded. Haruto just couldn't be certain.

"We won't find them by moping around. Let's go. Where are they?"

"In Okayama. From here, it'll probably take a few days."

"Let's not waste any time." L-elf wanted to make haste and find them. By now, the absence of those soldiers must have been noticed. Considering his military resume, L-elf didn't know what they were thinking sending just a few men after him. Perhaps they thought having the princess with him would be distracting. But now he didn't have her. He had no one. His mind was frighteningly clear.

* * *

"It's been days and we haven't heard from that squadron."

"Do you really think it would only take days to track and find L-elf?"

"I can't believe they didn't just send us to begin with."

"We're too close, we're under suspicion too."

"Then, if we're already being doubted, we should just take it into our own hands!"

"Q-vier is right. The fate of our country is at stake. And he is our friend."

"So we're going after him?"

"We're the only ones who can."


	5. The One Where Saki Appears

After one day of traveling, they had come under a large tree to rest and probably camp for the night. L-elf began to undo his clothes to allow Haruto to feed. He presented his neck and Haruto licked his lips in anticipation but then shook his head.

"Actually, you don't need to do that tonight."

"Don't you need more blood?", L-elf asked.

Haruto removed the gloves and hat he wore during the day, once the sun was beyond the horizon and the sky began to darken. "I only need to feed about once a week if it's human blood. So for now, I'm good."

L-elf closed up his clothes and got started on a fire. "Tell me about your coven. How were you all turned?" L-elf was realizing that he was traveling with a man he barely knew. He was confident in his abilities in case Haruto tried anything or something from his past came back to hurt them both.

"Like I said before, they're not really a coven. We're just friends." Haruto gazed in the fire as he recalled memories from that time. It was decades ago but he could still remember it clearly. And it was so long since he'd even thought about it. But speaking might help him process his feelings. So he decided to tell L-elf everything that he remembered.

"It started nearly forty years ago, in my hometown..."

Haruto lived alone with his father, who was a doctor. He didn't know the entire story, but his mother left when he was still a baby. For the next seventeen years, it had been he and his dad. Haruto had a small circle of friends he'd made over the years, the two he was closest to were Shoko and Inuzuka. Shoko he'd known since he was learning to walk.

Their lives had changed one night in Haruto's home. They were hanging around idly as the sun went down. Shoko was the first to return home that night. And the only to remain human. Haruto, Inuzuka, Saki, Yamada, Marie, and Akira had lost consciousness soon after and awoke in Tokishima Soichi's clinic. He had drugged their food to bring them there and had already finished his experiment, turning them into vampires.

All reacted initially with shock and disbelief but when they'd come to believe it, they had different takes on what had occurred. And the first thing they did was run away. They couldn't risk hurting their families with their new blood lust. It was difficult since they could no longer stand the sun, except for Inuzuka. In addition to vampirism, they'd been given other abilities.

Inuzuka had immunity to sunlight and could pass the power temporarily to others. It was this that allowed him to surprise them all with Shoko and Aina. He had returned to bring them and explain their situation. And they began to live with them. It was actually alright for a while.

"Humans lived in harmony with vampires. Unbelievable", L-elf commented.

"It's true. I guess because we were all friends", Haruto smiled. "But, it couldn't last. I should have known that. At least for me. Aina let Inuzuka feed from her. The rest of us stuck to animals. One day, Shoko offered her blood to me and..."

"You killed her?"

Haruto bit his lip and looked away, pulling his knees up to his chest and making himself smaller. Tears pricked his eyes and he nodded slowly, not the L-elf needed an answer after that reaction. Still, he watched the other closely. Then a realization dawned on him.

"You loved her."

At that, Haruto buried his face into his knees and sobbed quietly. L-elf found himself sympathizing with him. To have killed your beloved, he couldn't imagine it. The death of the princess had devastated him and he didn't have a direct hand in it. L-elf didn't think he could fathom the agony of causing the swift end of your loved one. His hand reached out and sat on Haruto's shoulder.

Feeling the touch, Haruto looked up with a wet face. L-elf wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but it felt appropriate. He patted Haruto's shoulder once, then pulled away. The brunet was in a bit of a daze at what had just happened. Could it be? Was L-elf comforting him? Haruto didn't think he had it in him but what else could that gesture be?

He wiped his face and smiled. "Thank you."

"I can somewhat understand your feelings. Although that exact instance has never happened to me. It is not easy to overcome. Will your friends ever forgive you for killing her?"

"I don't know. When I realized what I did, I just ran. I didn't stop until I'd crossed the sea. I couldn't face any of it. And I haven't talked to any of them since." Fresh tears began to fall. "Actually, they probably all hate me now. I never explained myself. And I just left Shoko's body there." Haruto started sobbing again, harder this time. "How am I supposed to see them after all this time?"

L-elf didn't have an answer to that. All he could think of was walking into a den of potentially hostile and angry vampires. He had to figure out countermeasures. Few things about vampires were known - their thirst for blood, weakness to sunlight, immortality, other things were merely speculation. L-elf needed to know other things to fight back with.

He looked to Haruto. He could always interrogate him. Then again, this one had been around for a few decades. Did he even know his own weaknesses? L-elf wasn't sure. Haruto withstood being stabbed in the heart but before meeting L-elf he lived what appeared to be a hermit lifestyle. It was very possible that he'd never been attacked before that night and didn't know what else was harmful for him.

Well, he wouldn't know unless he asked. But he needed rest. "Let's go to sleep. We'll continue in the morning." With that, he put out the fire and plunged them in the darkness of the countryside.

The pair traveled for another day and a half. Haruto had estimated the trip taking them longer based on his memory from running away. Back then he had to hide during the day to keep from the sun. Thanks to his protective clothing, they were able to keep going in the daylight and only stopped when it was completely dark. Haruto stopped walking once they reached a small village.

"This is..."

L-elf glanced at him, then inspected the area with his eyes. The population wasn't that large. Walking around the town would take less than ten minutes. There were probably about fifty people in all. A young woman walked around with an umbrella on this particularly sunny day. She noticed the two and looked at them strangely. Then she approached them.

"Hello there. Are you both travelers? We don't have an inn or anything to rest in but-"

"Saki", Haruto said suddenly.

She stopped and froze, eyes wavering. Haruto got under the umbrella with her and removed the cloth around the bottom of his face, as well as the wide brimmed hat, revealing his face under the shade. Her eyes watered at the sight and she almost lost her grip.

"Ha...Haruto..." Her hold slipped just a bit at the side of Haruto's face was burnt. He gasped in pain and she reclaimed her hold.

"Sorry! I wasn't expect-I mean I...Haruto...", tears streamed down as she tried to get her words together.

"Saki, what is this place? Where are the others?"

She grabbed his hand, hers sleeved in smooth, white slicks gloves while his were a brown leather. "Come with me."

She didn't even spare L-elf a glance as she pulled Haruto along. He followed behind, watching the other villagers. Haruto had only mentioned a handful of friends. And they had ran away together to live away from humans. Had they turned others in vampires in the decades that followed. Was this settlement completely populated by them?

Or perhaps they were all humans who had come along and had no idea of the monsters who lived among them. Either way, things had deviated from Haruto's story. And new information required new plans to accommodate them.


	6. The One With More Vampires

Haruto and L-elf were taken to a small building in the middle of the town. "This is our council building", the young woman explained. "Our little group has grown, Haruto."

There were no windows, the building was lit brightly with lamps and walls lights that made it easy to see. She led them to a small room and served them some tea, finally acknowledging L-elf.

"My name is Rukino Saki. I'm a friend of Haruto's. Who are you?"

"L-elf. Haruto's partner."

"Partner?", her eyes widened.

"Yeah, well, it just sort of happened", Haruto replid sheepishly. "He promised I could drink from him."

"You're so easily bought off", Saki sighed. "You became his lover for such a little thing?"

"L-l-l-l-l-lo?!", Haruto stuttered and couldn't even choke out the full word.

L-elf frowned. "You are mistaken." At that moment, they were joined by a few others. Saki turned to greet them.

"Good timing. Haruto's come back after all these years with his lover."

Yamada and Inuzuka's jaws dropped while Akira and an old woman looked on in confusion. Inuzuka was frozen for a while but Yamada jumped back into action.

"OI! What do you think you're doing leavin' us for so long and then showin' up outta the blue?!" He pulled Haruto into a headlock and squeezed tightly. "Do you know just how much we've fucking been through while you were off sulking?!"

"Yamada-kun!", the old woman scolded. "Don't break his neck before we can hear his side of the story."

Inuzuka closed his mouth and agreed with a nod. "Aina's right. We have to at least listen We've got a lot to tell him too."

Yamada released him and Haruto rubbed his neck. "Wait, Aina? Sakurai Aina?", he looked on in amazement. So she had stayed with them this whole time. Inuzuka wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she looked up at him affectionately. Haruto smiled.

"Congrats...No, I guess I'm a little late on that", he blushed. "And Akira...", Haruto looked to the young-looking introvert. "Last time I saw you, it was a struggle to get you out of your room."

"You're late on a lot of things. Let's all sit and talk, us, you, and your boyfriend", Inuzuka said.

Haruto didn't have the energy to deny it at the moment anymore. He'd set them straight later. They all sat down at the table and Haruto's friends told their side of the story. When he left, they decided to stay in case he ever returned. They built homes for themselves and in time, more people came to the area and settled down. It began with just a few who knew the secret.

Presently, every citizen knew of their vampire neighbors. There were some bumps along the way but all who currently lived here were accepting and content. In that time, Aina and Inuzuka had gotten married and even had children. And some of those kids had kids.

"Are they...", Haruto spoke up but couldn't find the right words at first. "Are they like us?"

Inuzuka nodded. "Our children were half vampire, so they shared just a few characteristics. They could eat food but it had to be supplemented with blood. They age but slowly. But, once they married and had kids with other humans, the vampirism was diluted even more."

Aina added in, "Our grandchildren are almost completely human. They only partake of blood if they are particularly ill."

"I'm glad", Haruto smiled. "Um, I meant to ask this earlier but where's Marie?"

At that, the mood dampened. Yamada was the first to speak up. "When you and Shoko first went missing, she was the one to go searching for you."

The whole group looked in the immediate area and found Shoko's body first. Haruto turned his gaze away shamefully. Realizing what must have happened, Marie was the one who volunteered to go and find Haruto, wherever he had gone. After a few days had passed, they decided to go after Marie. Through word of mouth, they heard of a vampire who had been caught and killed in a nearby town.

"When we went to see for ourselves, they had her hanging in the center of the town." Inuzuka clenched his fists on the table. "It was night, so we took her body back to give it a proper burial."

Aina patted his shoulder comfortingly and turned to Haruto. "So what have you been doing all this time?"

"I've just been...moving around. Everyone, I'm so sorry about what I did. I didn't just kill Shoko, but it caused Marie's death..." tears stung and fell from his eyes. "If she didn't come looking for me...If I had just owned up to my mistake in the first place."

"So you just moped around all these decades?", Yamada asked, rolling hi eyes. "After we've been bustin' our asses gettin' this city together? Ad you just walk in with your boyfriend with nothin' to show for it. I oughta-"

"L-elf isn't my boyfriend! He's a Dorssian soldier that I'm working with!"

"Dorssian?", Saki spoke up. "What business does he have with you?"

"Tokishima and I have an agreement. He assists me in a coup against the current royal family and I give him my blood", L-elf finally said something.

"A coup?", Aina blinked.

"Against Dorssia?!", Yamada blurted before laughing. "You and this guy here?! I'd pay money to see that happen."

"You could see it for free if you accept my offer." L-elf spoke calmly, not put off by Yamada's disbelief. "We came to enlist you all. More vampires equals more power."

Yamada stood from his chair. "You think we're just gonna follow some bastard we don't know and the guy who abandoned us?!"

"Calm down", Inuzuka remained firm. "Haruto, I want to believe you're still the guy I knew. I want to believe that you're not about to invade a country with one other person just to drink his blood."

"You can all benefit from this", L-elf said. "If we succeed, vampires will have a place in the new society. You won't need to hide anymore."

Saki crossed her arms. "We don't need to hide now. This village is more than enough for us if the world won't accept us as we are now."

"L-elf is saying that we can change that. Look, you guys have proven that humans and vampires can live together just fine. Now imagine if everywhere was like that? Don't you all want to see the world without being afraid", Haruto smiled as if he truly believed in that sort of world. "I think we could do it, with L-elf's help."

"Haruto, I think we all need some time to process this", Inuzuka grabbed onto Aina's hand. "Until then, you guys are welcome to stay. This is our council building but it has a few guest rooms, for whenever people come through. You guys can stay there."

* * *

Hours later, one of the grandchildren had come and delivered some food for L-elf. After days one the road, a home cooked meal was heaven. He felt more energized. L-elf knew he had to keep his strength up if Haruto was going to keep feeding from him. Especially if he wanted to remain at one hundred percent. He couldn't go after Dorssia with anything less.

Haruto came into his bedroom and closed the door behind him. "Um, just so you know, I wasn't upset about them assuming we were dating because of you or anything. I think you're a really great person. It's just..."

"You don't need to say anything to spare my feelings, Tokishima. How you feel about me is none of my concern, as long as you get the job done."

"I think you're handsome!", Haruto yelled out with his eyes closed. "Y-you're really smart too. So I didn't want you to think there was anything wrong with you. I had just...never thought of it before, being with anyone else."

Without another word, L-elf sat down on the bed and removed his clothing until he was bare from the neck to his hips. Haruto didn't know why he was undressing so much, but he would accept the invitation. He sat down next to L-elf and put his hands on his shoulders to brace himself. L-elf tilted his head and exposed his neck. Something about seeing a person this strong and fierce submitting in such a way whetted his appetite.

The last thought that Haruto had before sinking his teeth in was that L-elf looked attractive, even from this angle


	7. The One Where L-elf Recruits

L-elf knew that his plan to take over Dorssia would happen much more easily if he could just get the rest of Haruto's coven to come to his side. But they were comfortable here. And people at peace would never see a reason to go to war so long as this peace continued. He had to come up with something that would light a fire in them and encourage them to take down a kingdom.

He tried thinking of a plan while helping Aina in the kitchen. He realized he was in danger of losing Haruto as well. If the vampire started to like this place, he might back out of their agreement and stay here. For a moment, L-elf considered burning the town but all that would do is get him on the wrong side of a group of blood suckers. He could subdue one at a time but not if they came at him all at once.

There had to be something that would light a fire in them. Anything. That evening, everyone gathered in the dining room for dinner. There were three tables and even then it was still a bit cramped, what with the whole Inuzuka family in attendance. But if was comfy for that reason.

"Are you still undecided about joining our cause?", L-elf poised the question in the middle of the meal.

Inuzuka sighed. "It's just..Well..."

"You all have something to gain from this. This is village is your oasis, but you have dealt with enemies in the past before, have you not?"

They looked down sadly, some remembering Marie, others the various experiences throughout the years. L-elf spoke up again.

"You all have the power to take down Dorssia. They don't have countermeasures for vampires. If you assist me, I can promise that your kind will have a place in the new regime."

They were still silent but Saki glanced at Haruto. "I'll go. But only if you promise to make me the new queen."

"I can not."

"Why? Keeping the title for yourself?"

"We can discuss offices once the royal family has been disposed off", L-elf ended that conversation. "What about the rest of you?"

"I never liked those Dorssians", Yamada picked at his food. "This one time a few came 'round and treated me like some kinda dumbass. 'Dyoo yoo undastahnd whut Ie em seiying'? I'm older than most of them already! I'll join ya if I get to punch a few right in the nose."

L-elf smirked. "That is something I can guarantee."

Inuzuka looked at Saki and Yamada, then at Akira who had remained silent. Her eyes met his and then her lips turned up in a smile. Just that expression told him everything and he knew her answer before she replied to L-elf.

"I'll go."

"Haruto", Inuzuka purposely addressed his old friend instead of the stranger trying to enlist them. "I need to seriously think about it. There's a lot at risk if we fail."

"We won't fail", Haruto said resolutely.

"You were such a pacifist before. What changed?" Inuzuka almost couldn't recognize the man who stood before him now. It had him worrying about L-elf's influence more than anything.

"I was living alone this whole time. And even the place I was staying at wasn't safe for me anymore." Haruto looked down at his finished plate. "I don't want to live in fear anymore. And I don't want anyone else to."

"We don't live in fear here", the older argued. "We're all happy."

"But for how long? You said it yourself, there's been hardships, right? What if there was no need for that because we've been completely accepted?" Haruto clenched his fists and looked up at his friend. "We can do that. With L-elf's help we could make a world for all of us. Think about the other vampires who must be hiding."

"I can't afford to worry about strangers across the world when I have a family that depends on me. I'm sorry, Haruto."

After dinner, L-elf lead a meeting with the ones who would be joining him in the room where they had all introduced themselves earlier. Inuzuka was in another room, sitting by a gentle fire. Aina leaned against him, smiling.

"You should go", she said, breaking the silence.

"They'll be fine without me. I'm needed here." Inuzuka grabbed her hand. There was a contrast between his youthful, smooth skin and her wrinkled one. "I'm needed even more if everyone else is going. Work will double up and everything and..."

"Just go. We have a lot of young people that can pick up some extra work. We're not all immortal, but we'll make it work", she teased.

"But..." He looked down at their hands. He had never really thought about the difference between himself and Aina. But seeing Haruto come back after all this time, completely unchanged really made it hit him. It drove the point home despite living with Saki, Yamada, and Akira. Aina was still human and aging. She was already an old woman.

Which meant she didn't have long. And he didn't want to leave her side for some rebellion if it meant coming back to her grave. He didn't think he could handle it if that were to happen. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her, now more than ever. Aina kissed his cheek.

"I'm not so frail that I'll drop as soon as you set off. I had a grandpa that lived to be 103. And I'll keep on drinking my green tea too."

Inuzuka's eyes softened and he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You're right. Even without me, you'll be fine. I'm sorry for doubting you."

After putting her to bed, Inuzuka walked over to their meeting room and entered. He had not one bit of hesitation in his body. Because whatever the outcome, he would have his incredible Aina, holding down the fort here and waiting for him.

"Haruto, I'm in."


	8. The One Where Haruto Falls

Small feet pattered through quiet halls. It was early in the morning, so early that only a few servants were awake to begin the day. Normally this child would be asleep too but today was a special day and he awoke with the first light. With his bare feet, he ran to a wooden door and knocked, waited for three seconds, then pushed it open. He closed the door behind him and went right to the large bed.

"It's morning!", he exclaimed, hopping on the sleeping figure.

He had heard the boy coming down the hall, knock, enter, and anticipated his attack. Still, he allowed his son to jump on top of him and pretended to be awakened. He was too young to have his skills evaluated just yet. He sat up slowly and patted the top of the child's head.

"Good morning. It's not yet time."

"But it's morning! He said he's coming back today", the child protested.

"You're right. However the expected arrival time is this afternoon, when you wake up from your nap."

The boy pouted. He was already awake. He couldn't wait that long. His father pulled him to lie down in the bed. The sun was still rising. That man wouldn't be back for hours. His son looked petulant and sleepy at the same time. He was just about to close his eyes when there was a tapping at the window. The child's eyes popped wide open and he got up, familiar with the sound.

He reached the window and opened it with practiced ease, letting in the bat who had arrived.

* * *

Inuzuka had felt really confident about choosing to go with Haruto, thinking that they would be setting off immediately to go and conquer the foreign country. So he was a little let down when that wasn't the plan.

"Now that we have a base of operations, it is time to come up with something that will take down the current royal family absolutely", L-elf had explained.

"Base of operations...this place?", Haruto questioned.

"In this village, you vampires are safe. And no one knows that I am here. It is the best location."

"So what do we do first?", Saki asked.

"First and foremost, I must know what abilities you have." Vampire lore was all over the place. L-elf had to separate the myths from reality and use whatever they had to launch the attack on Dorssia. They went around explaining their abilities. Inuzuka was able to walk in the sun. He was also able to pass the ability to another vampire but only temporarily. So far, the longest duration was one hour.

Akira could see from other people's views. Her limit was that she had to see them to get a lock but once she did, their eyes were hers no matter how far they went. Saki was super fast. In all this time, no one had taken an exact measure but on her slowest day she could keep pace with the quickest rabbit. Yamada had super strength, which was put to use when making the sturdy buildings of their small town.

Then L-elf looked to Haruto, expecting something of him but he shook his head apologetically. Unlike the others, he had no special powers. It was ironic, considering it was his own father that did this to them.

"Are you saying you never found out what your power is?", Saki frowned in disbelief.

"It's understandable", Inuzuka defended. "He must've not met another vampire in all this time, or killed one."

Haruto looked back and forth between them. "What are you guys talking about?"

"We went back to your father's lab to learn more about ourselves", Inuzuka explained. "We found some notes that talked about how he did it and what he meant for your power to be. But we can't know for sure until you kill another vampire."

"What is it?" Haruto was almost afraid to ask if it involved death but he had to know.

"Apparently back then, your dad had met with a really old vampire. Probably the head vampire. That guy has the power to bestow special abilities on others like us. He did some stuff and was able to give you the opposite power."

"Meaning?"

"Whereas the vampire king gives to those he creates, you can take from whom you kill", Saki clarified.

"I thought we voted against callin' him that. Is he really that great?", Yamada complained.

"Regardless of the validity of his royalty, if what you say is true, we cannot confirm it until Tokishima kills another vampire", L-elf said. "And we can't afford to make plans around an unverified ability."

It went without saying that for the moment, there was no way to test Haruto's power. In fact, it might never come to pass. Instead, they had to work with what the others had. They would return to Dorssia and load up on supplies there. The main priority was weapons for L-elf. He was more than capable in hand-to hand combat but a gun was quicker and cleaner.

They would leave the next night, to rest up and get the most out of traveling. Now that they were a group, instead of two, bandits might think twice about approaching them. L-elf was never truly fearful of them. But rumors about bandits being done away with by the hands of one man might reach the wrong ears. L-elf sat on his bed, an oil lamp giving the room a dim glow.

Just like the rest of the council building, there were no windows. There was a knock on the door and L-elf answered it, not surprised to see Haruto waiting.

"Come for another feeding?"

"No, no. I told you, I don't need to drink that often." Although he did enjoy it, he admitted to himself, trying not to lick his lips. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Michael let him enter and closed the door. Both of them sat on opposite ends of the bed. Haruto tried to figure out where to start. This had been on his mind for some time but he wasn't sure how to bring it up. He took a breath and decided to just dive in.

"That girl you were with. You cared about her this much? To take on a whole country with just a few people?"

"I love her", L-elf replied so boldly is surprised Haruto.

He was taken aback both by the confidence and the present tense. Even though she was gone, his feelings were still there. Haruto could understand that. It hadn't been very long ago. He moved closer to L-elf.

"Can you tell me about her?"

L-elf looked him over in suspicion, as if it was a trick, but in the end, began to describe the woman Haruto had only known for a short period. He talked about her they first met, he tried holding her captive but she quickly diffused the situation, earning his respect and love him the moment. Haruto laughed at the thought of L-elf believing in love at first sight.

But it was true. From the moment, she owned his heart and he only fell deeper as time went on. He talked about how her cousin disapproved of their friendship at first but in time L-elf made friends of him too. Then he said more about the princess, Lieselotte. He spoke of her kindness and curiosity and trust in L-elf. Haruto listened, watching the cold young man warm up.

He wasn't an animated talker but there was more movement in him. He smiled more. His gaze was gentle. Haruto moved until he and L-elf sat against the headboard, shoulder to shoulder. His companion either didn't notice or didn't care. Haruto could watch L-elf like this all day, just listen to him talk about anything that interested him. Haruto froze but L-elf was too engrossed in a story about a picnic to notice the vampire having an epiphany.

_'I think...I think I might love L-elf.'_


	9. The One Where They Leave Town

"He was definitely in this village. The question is where did he go from here?"

A firm hand was put on the young man's shoulder and he looked over into bespectacled eyes. "A-drei, we need to return. The trail is cold."

A-drei frowned, frustrated. Their team had followed the rumors and tracks to a small town in southern Dorssia but from there had no idea where to go. The ocean was near. If L-elf and the princess went overseas, where would they go? Knowing his friend, they could survive anywhere in the world. That didn't help A-drei at all.

"The villagers had all these kinds of rumors about a bloodthirsty monster around here", H-neun said. "Think it might be our guy?"

X-eins shook his head. "Their stories are about young women who disappear without a trace."

"That doesn't sound like L-elf at all", A-drei grinned. "If he killed them, he wouldn't bother to dispose of the bodies."

"And he's always been nervous around girls!", Q-vier laughed.

H-neun held his hands behind his head. "Not really nervous but rather...wary? I've always wondered why that is."

"The only girl he ever got along with was the princess. The monster rumor is irrelevant", A-drei grabbed the reins of his horse. "We can't continue this for much longer before the palace calls us back. We'll go to the next village."

"Wait, they said the monster lives in the forest. Maybe we should at least check it out before heading off", H-neun suggested.

A-drei sighed. They had lost their other leads, so maybe... "Fine. We'll search there for something."

* * *

The sun had set and they had packed their things in a horse drawn carriage. Before setting off, they all came to the cemetery made for the human residents of the little town. The group stood before the headstones made for Shoko and Marie. Although he knew they were dead, seeing their graves made it a more solid reality for Haruto. He knelt before them and cried, apologizing for his foolishness and selfishness.

The others said their goodbyes before getting into the carriage. Vampires slept, but didn't need it as often as humans. And it was decided that with his immunity to sunlight, Inuzuka was best for driving during the day. So everyone else drew straws for the first part of the journey. During this initial night, Haruto and Akira would sit up front, directing the horse and keeping watch.

The rest of their group would sit in the back and sleep until morning came. L-elf and Inuzuka would take over then. At first, the ride was quiet. Haruto wanted to make sure the others got a good rest, while Akira wasn't much of a talker, as he remembered. Still, this was the first time since he returned that they were essentially alone together.

"A lot's changed since I left, hasn't it?"

"A lot changes in forty years", Akira replied.

"Like you?", he grinned. "I remember when it was a struggle to get you out of your room." His smile fell. "That night...if I hadn't forced you-"

"It wasn't your fault", Akira interrupted. "I made the decision myself." A small smile rose to her face. "Besides, Shoko-chan was the most convincing one."

Haruto smiled along with her. He remembered vividly. Shoko was always so welcoming and encouraging that everyone be let in on their fun. That night, she had persuaded Akira to join them, but left early, being spared from his father's experimentation. He gripped the reigns tightly. This all happened because his father used them as guinea pigs.

"U-um, your brother...Is he...?" Haruto hadn't seen Satomi, who usually hung around Akira whenever she ventured outside.

"He's still alive. He got married and had children. But, he doesn't know about us. For all he knows, I just disappeared."

"You should go to him! He misses you a lot, I bet. He'd be happy to see you and know you're okay."

"When this is all over...maybe...I just don't know what to say to him after all this time."

"'Hello' is a nice start", Haruto smiled playfully.

Akira's lips perked up and they continued their part of the ride in a friendly silence. Eventually, the sun began to show itself and the others started to awaken. L-elf was the first to rise, taking Akira's place. When the light officially began to show, Haruto hid in the cart with the others, while Inuzuka sat in his seat up front. Haruto and Akira used this time to catch up on some sleep.

"So, you really believe that we can do this?", Inuzuka asked.

"I have a plan", L-elf answered simply.

A corner of Inuzuka's lips went up. "It still seems impossible to me, even though I'm coming along. For Haruto to suddenly return and recruit us to overthrow the Dorssian royal family..."

"Are you having second thoughts? I don't need anyone who will not fight."

"No, no. I'm standing firm. It's just something incredible. Haruto was the one who always ran from fights. He never liked confrontation."

L-elf thought of this. During their trip here, he was the one who had taken on the soldiers that were after them. Haruto had stayed back under his orders. He didn't know the man's fighting skills yet. He probably had none, like the rest of them. But what mattered most was that they couldn't die, regardless of what was thrown at them.

He'd seen Haruto burned and stabbed and shake it off like it was nothing. Dorssia wouldn't be expecting a traitorous soldier to be returning with a coven of vampires to support him. But at the same time, he knew there was an obstacle that he couldn't quite yet calculate for waiting for them once they got closer to the capital - his squadron.


End file.
